Fleming, a Gainesville resident who is active in political, LGBT and volunteer circles, served 10 years in the Navy under policies banning openly gay men and women to serve, forcing him to keep his sexuality secret.

“That kind of hiding is corrosive to relationships and building strong families. I always felt I wasn’t being true to myself or my partner,” Fleming said Friday. “The hardest part was being silent about who I really am.”

He called the overturning of the policy a “major step forward for equal rights, military readiness, the LGBT community and for our entire country.”

While serving in the Navy, he was in a relationship with a fellow sailor at Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, but the two grew apart when Fleming was sent to others across the U.S.

In April, he and his current partner of 14 years were invited to the White House for a gather of community organizers. When Fleming shook hands with the president, he thanked him.

“I was in the Navy for 10 years, and I want to thank you for overturning ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” Fleming recalled saying.

Morgan Watkins, a University of Florida grad, joined the Sun in August 2012 as its county government reporter. She keeps you updated on what’s happening inside county meetings and outside in local neighborhoods. If you think something might make a good story, let her know at morgan.watkins@gvillesun.com.